A known shade apparatus for a vehicle described in JP2000-203265A (hereinafter referred to as Patent document 1) includes guide rails and two shade panels serving as a front driving shade panel and a rear driven shade panel. The guide rails are arranged along side edges of an opening formed in an interior ceiling member of the vehicle and extending along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The shade panels are slidably supported by the guide rails therewithin. The shade panels open and close the opening of the interior ceiling member.
Further, in the shade apparatus according to Patent document 1, the front driving shade panel and the rear driven shade panel are arranged in opening and closing directions, respectively. The opening direction is a front side in a longitudinal direction of the shade apparatus while the closing direction is a rear side in the longitudinal direction of the shade panel apparatus. The front driving shade panel includes first and second engaging portions formed at the lateral front and rear ends, respectively, in the closing direction relative to the rear driven shade panel. The rear driven shade panel includes engaged portions formed at the front ends in the closing direction relative to the front driving shade panel.
Under a closed condition of the opening of the interior ceiling member in the shade apparatus according to Patent document 1, when the front driving shade panel is slid in the opening direction, the first engaging portions engage with the engaged portions of the rear driven shade panel, thereby sliding the rear driven shade panel in the opening direction. As a result, the opening of the interior ceiling member is opened. Meanwhile, under an opened condition of the opening of the interior ceiling member in the shade apparatus, when the front driving shade panel is slid in the closing direction, the second engaging portions of the front driving shade panel engage with the engaged portions of the rear driven shade panel, thereby sliding the rear driven shade panel in the closing direction. As a result, the opening of the interior ceiling member is closed.
In the shade apparatus according to Patent document 1, while the front driving shade panel and the rear driven shade panel open and close the opening, the first engaging portions of the front driving shade panel and the engaged portions of the rear driven shade panel contact and engage with one another. During such opening and closing operations of the front driving shade panel and the rear driven shade panel, abnormal noises caused by impacts due to the above-mentioned engagement may occur. In particular, when the front driving shade panel is quickly or forcefully slid, abnormal noises particularly occur, therefore making an occupant feel uncomfortable.
A need thus exists for a shade apparatus for a vehicle, which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.